Replacement parts on way for Kaneohe’s park pool

Question:

The pool at Kaneohe District Park is closed again. They say it will be closed for two months to replace a part that was supposed to last for 30 years. Why do we have to wait two months for something that should be replaced within days?

Answer: The pool was closed last week because of a "filter system failure," explained Lester Chang, director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation.

It's not expected to reopen until mid- to late-August.

The problem was with the "impeller," which moves water through the filter system. On top of that, this week, it was discovered that the motor that connects to the impeller also needs to be repaired.

The Kaneohe pool was closed for a lengthy time in 2006, after the electric heat pumps broke and required $50,000 in repairs (Kokua Line, March 23, 2006).

The impeller has nothing to do with the heat pumps, which "have been temperamental," according to Chang.

In this case, the impeller has had two "premature" breakdowns: "The original part lasted 12 months and the replacement only lasted seven months," Chang said.

City engineers are trying to figure out why the failures occurred to prevent it from happening again.

A rush order for a replacement impeller was placed, but it still will take weeks for it to be shipped from the mainland, Chang said. He hopes that replacement parts for the motor can be found locally.

It will cost about $3,000 to replace the impeller and $3,000 to repair the motor.

Q: What should we expect when we make an abandoned vehicle report? I made a report weeks ago for three vehicles left unmoved and unattended along Kahuanani Street. The city did put abandoned vehicle notices on the vehicles July 1 and 10. But nothing has happened. I don't know what is going on. I would not complain, but parking is tight in our neighborhood, as in all neighborhoods. People using the street as a parking lot is not good for us. The first two cars appear to be inoperable -- never moved.

A: One vehicle that had been marked July 1 was subsequently found to have moved, so it is not considered abandoned.

However, the vehicle was cited for license plate and safety check violations, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the Motor Vehicle & Licensing Division.

There were no complaints registered in the city's database regarding the other two vehicles you cited, he said.

However, two other vehicles -- different models and license numbers from what you provided -- were observed by inspectors.

One was cited for license plate and safety check violations.

Kamimura said the public can call the Motor Vehicle Control Section, 733-2530, to find out the status of complaints.